One thing we have never done at Mars Hill Church is take a special offering. However, that will change this Sunday when we take a second offering for the mission of Churches Helping Churches in Haiti.
Many pastors have been contacting us, saying that they too want to take a special offering this Sunday. We rejoice in your willingness to help those who are suffering so greatly. I would like to specifically invite my brothers in Acts 29 and our pastor friends at The Resurgence to do the same.
For those of you who, like us at Mars Hill, have not ever taken a special offering, the following tips were coaching points Pastor James MacDonald gave me on our return flight from Haiti.
Why You Should Take a Special Offering
It is biblical. Galatians 6:10 says, ...
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Churches go through critical seasons of their life that largely determine both their longevity and health. Seeing, accepting, and navigating these seasons is incredibly important for the ongoing forward progress of the gospel.
Gestation
In this phase, God calls a leader (or leaders) to begin a new church and begins to clarify the specifics of their vision. An initial core of people is gathered, a meeting location is secured, some ministries begin to form, and funding is acquired.
Birth
In this season, the church goes from being a concept to a reality and opens itself up to invite in the greater community and focuses its attention on evangelism, growth, and implementation of new systems and leaders.
Infancy
In this season, the attendance settles into a ...
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By Mark Driscoll
The final installment of a 4-part series. The entire article is available in PDF form here.
18. Cleanliness
Very simply, is the location clean? Will people be comfortable in the restrooms? Will people be comfortable if they have small children crawling on the floor? If the overall atmosphere is not generally clean and adequately maintained, a statement is being made about your congregation.
19. Accessibility
How difficult it the facility to find? Is it near a known landmark, in a known neighborhood, and/or accessible to the freeway and major arterials? If not, it may be cumbersome and difficult for people to find you and thereby inhibit your growth.
20. Signage
Is there any opportunity for you to either temporarily or permanently place signs on ...
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By Mark Driscoll
Part 3 of a 4 part series. Click here for Part 1 & Part 2.
11. Room for Fellowship
Will there be sufficient open space for people to mingle and meet before and after the services? While this item may seem simple, the issue of hospitality can be key for a new church hoping to connect with visitors in an informal setting.
12. Cost
For most starving church planters this issue is critical. Working on a limited budget trying to juggle start-up costs with salaries, facilities, and programming can be maddening. However, you must remember that it is your hope to remain in your first location as long as possible because the costs and management complexities associated with moving can be very damaging to the momentum of a newly forming congregation. The right ...
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This is part 2 of a series from Mark Driscoll to help church planters who are looking for a facility to meet for corporate worship. Look for further installments for factors 11-23.
6. Lighting
Will your building be sufficient with its current lighting or will you need to bring in additional lighting (e.g., lamps, stage lights)? Conversely, some facilities have so many windows and so much natural light that it becomes difficult to project images in the room or to alter the atmosphere when desired. Also, some rooms are so dark that people are forced to squint, which may cause them headaches or eye strain.
7. Acoustics
This area is particularly important but also very complicated. The costs associated with acoustically engineering a room can be staggering. Therefore, the average ...
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